Jean Cocteau Poteries 1958 Villefranche-sur-Mer Exhibition Poster

Influenced by the avant-garde spirit of the French Riviera, This print captures the whimsical intersection of ceramic craft and surrealist sketching. The composition centers on a large orb containing mirrored profiles and a watchful eye, rendered with a light, calligraphic touch in contrasting shades of terracotta red and verdant green. Below the central graphic, the hand-drawn typography for Poteries and the location of Villefranche-sur-Mer anchors the piece in its 1958 historical context.

There is a playful, almost mythic quality to these lines that speaks of sunny afternoons in Southern France. It evokes the creative freedom of the mid-century era when legendary artists transformed everyday pottery into works of high art. Looking at it, one feels transported to a seaside studio, hearing the distant sound of waves while watching a poet’s hand dance across a clay surface to create something both simple and profound.

It fits the same shelf as our mid century modern art, and sits comfortably next to abstract art prints.